Haunama Bay Nature Preserve

Haunama Bay is one of our favorite snorkel sports on Oahu. It is a very popular spot and for good reason. This gorgeous was created many years ago by a volcano and has a lush and lively reef full of tropical fish to explore.

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Haunama Bay Nature Preserve
7455 Kalanianaole Hwy
Honolulu, Hawaii
Haunama Bay is a State Park so you will need a ticket to enter. Getting a ticket is the tricky part. The day you are interested in visiting you will want to arrive at the park BEFORE the gates open at 6:45am. Once the gates open, they will start handing out time entry tickets for everyone in your party. Once the tickets are all handed out for the day they are gone, and they are usually sold out by 8am. Keep in mind Haunama Bay is closed Mondays & Tuesdays.

You are allowed to leave and come back approximately 45 minutes before your ticket time. So you don’t have to sit around in the parking lot for hours until your ticket time. The day we went we got a ticket for 9:45am so we went to some nearby lookouts and grabbed a Starbucks before heading back. For things to do nearby while you’re waiting for your ticket time, check out my posts:
Sea Life Park
Lanai Lookout

When you arrive they will check your entry ticket prior to entering the parking lot and you will pay $3/car for parking. Once you’ve parked you can walk up to see where your ticket time line is. Its not necessary to have everyone stand in line, I suggest leaving one person in line the rest of your party hanging out at the picnic tables or playing in the grassy areas. As of 2021 the restrooms and small gift shop are open but snorkel gear rentals, locker rentals, and the snack bar remain closed. You will have to bring your own snorkel gear as there is none available to rent in the park.

Your ticket time is actually the time of your entry video. Everyone entering the state park is REQUIRED to watch the 9 minute video before entering. If you plan to visit the park again within a year, you can have your name written on a list to avoid having to watch it again (but its only good for one year). Once your line is called to move up to the video you will pay to enter the park. Rates are $12 per adult and kids are FREE.

There is a short walk down into the park which you can take the FREE tram down to if you don’t want to walk. The lagoon is absolutely beautiful. Once you’ve entered you can stay as long or as little as you want. The park closes daily at 4pm.

The water is shallow on some spots over the reef so be careful when snorkeling. The lifeguards will yell at you if you end up on the reef.

The lagoon is great for swimming too. There are many shallow spots perfect for younger kids.

Down in the park there are restrooms, water fountains and outdoor showers to rinse off the sand.
For more info on Haunama Bay State Park, view their website HERE.